The EPA Just Approved Three New PFAS Pesticides. Here's Why Wellness Advocates Are Paying Attention.
If you've spent any time in the wellness world this month, you've probably seen headlines about the EPA approving three new pesticide active ingredients that many environmental and consumer advocacy groups classify as PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals."
Credit: Andrii Medvediuk / Getty Images
For some people, it was just another headline.
For others, it confirmed concerns they've had for years.
At No Crap In It, we don't believe wellness should be driven by fear. But we do believe it should be driven by knowledge. So instead of reacting to a headline, let's take a step back and understand why this conversation matters, what PFAS actually are, and most importantly, what practical steps you can take to reduce unnecessary exposure.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large family of man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products for decades.
They're commonly called "forever chemicals" because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in chemistry. Many PFAS don't easily break down in the environment, which means they can remain in soil, water, and living organisms for years or even decades.
Over time, these chemicals have been found in drinking water, food packaging, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam, cosmetics, and numerous industrial applications. Researchers have also detected certain PFAS in the blood of many people, demonstrating just how widespread exposure has become.
While scientists continue studying the health effects of the thousands of different PFAS compounds, concerns have been raised about long-term exposure to some of these chemicals and their potential effects on human health.
Why Is This EPA Decision Making Headlines?
Recently, the EPA approved three new pesticide active ingredients that critics, including food activist Vani Hari, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and other environmental advocates, identify as PFAS or PFAS-related fluorinated compounds.
Supporters of the approvals point out that the products met the EPA's current regulatory requirements. Critics argue that our understanding of persistent chemical exposure is still evolving and question whether today's testing adequately reflects the cumulative effects of lifelong, low-level exposure from multiple sources.
This disagreement highlights an important distinction.
Regulatory agencies are often tasked with determining whether a product meets current legal safety standards under labeled conditions of use.
Holistic wellness practitioners frequently ask a different question:
How do repeated, low-level exposures from many different sources affect our bodies over an entire lifetime?
Those aren't necessarily the same question.
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It's Not About One Apple
This is probably the biggest misconception surrounding conversations like this.
No one is suggesting that eating one conventionally grown apple or one salad is suddenly dangerous.
The concern isn't one meal.
It isn't one pesticide.
It isn't one exposure.
It's the accumulation of thousands of small exposures over years and decades.
Think of your body like a bucket.
Every day we're exposed to countless substances:
- Pesticides on produce
- Chemicals in drinking water
- Food packaging
- Household cleaners
- Air pollution
- Personal care products
- Plastics
- Plus personal stressors like high cortisol and poor sleep
Individually, each exposure may seem insignificant.
Collectively, they contribute to what many functional and integrative practitioners refer to as your overall toxic load.
The goal isn't to eliminate every exposure. That's impossible in today's world.
The goal is to reduce the exposures we can reasonably control while supporting the body's natural systems that process and eliminate waste.
Why Wellness Advocates Are Concerned
Food activist Vani Hari, better known as Food Babe, has spent years encouraging consumers to ask tougher questions about food additives, pesticides, and chemical exposures. Organizations like EWG have similarly advocated for stronger oversight of chemicals that persist in the environment.
Whether you agree with every position these organizations take or not, they have helped bring greater public awareness to issues that many people had never considered before.
This latest EPA decision is another reminder that wellness isn't just about calories, protein, or exercise.
It's also about understanding what else we're bringing into our bodies every day.
Why Many Wellness Advocates Look to Europe
Many wellness advocates point to differences between U.S. and European regulatory approaches as one reason they're calling for greater scrutiny of chemical exposures.
The comparison below highlights glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. While glyphosate is not one of the PFAS compounds making headlines this week, it provides a helpful example of how regulatory standards can differ between regions.
It's also important to keep this in perspective: this graphic represents just one chemical. This week's news involved three additional pesticide active ingredients that critics classify as PFAS, and those are only part of the broader picture. Environmental exposures don't come from food alone. They can also come from our drinking water, cookware, food packaging, household products, personal care items, and the world around us.
For many in the holistic wellness community, that's why the conversation isn't centered on one ingredient or one headline. It's about understanding our overall toxic load and making informed choices to reduce unnecessary exposure wherever we reasonably can.
Source: Adapted from Food Babe's research and educational materials.
Should You Stop Eating Fruits and Vegetables?
Absolutely not.
Fruits and vegetables remain one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
The answer is never to avoid produce.
Instead, consider practical ways to reduce exposure while continuing to enjoy a diet rich in whole foods.
Some simple strategies include:
- Wash produce thoroughly under running water.
- Buy organic when it makes sense for your family and your budget, especially for foods you eat frequently.
- Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables rather than relying on the same foods every day.
- Support local farmers when possible and ask questions about their growing practices.
- Grow herbs or vegetables at home if you have the space.
Remember, wellness isn't all-or-nothing. Every small improvement adds up over time.
Looking Beyond Food
PFAS aren't only found in pesticides.
Many people are surprised to learn they may also encounter these chemicals through:
- Nonstick cookware
- Grease-resistant food wrappers
- Water-resistant clothing
- Stain-resistant furniture
- Certain cosmetics
- Contaminated drinking water
This is why so many holistic practitioners focus on reducing overall exposure instead of obsessing over a single product or ingredient.
Supporting Your Body Along the Way
Reducing exposure is only one part of the equation.
The other part is supporting the incredible systems your body already has in place.
Every day, your liver, kidneys, digestive system, and immune system work together to process and eliminate waste while helping your body maintain balance. That's why Feather created the Forever Defense System—a three-part wellness bundle designed to support those natural processes.
Rather than focusing on one ingredient or one pathway, the system was built around three simple goals:
Mobilize → Bind → Calm
Step 1: Mobilize
Your liver and kidneys are your body's primary filtration systems. They work around the clock to process waste products and support your body's natural detoxification processes.
Our Kidney & Liver formula was designed to nourish these hardworking organs with herbs traditionally used to support healthy liver and kidney function.
Key ingredients include:
• Organic Milk Thistle, traditionally used to support healthy liver cells and normal liver function.
• Dandelion Root, long valued for supporting healthy kidney function and normal fluid balance.
• Hibiscus Flower, which provides antioxidant support while promoting healthy liver function.
• Organic Marshmallow Root, traditionally used to support urinary tract health.
• Organic Fennel Seed, selected to support digestion while promoting healthy kidney function.
The goal isn't to force detoxification. It's to help support the body's own natural filtration systems so they can do what they were designed to do.
Step 2: Bind
Once your body has processed unwanted materials, supporting their natural elimination is another important part of the process.
That's where Detox comes in.
This blend combines nutrient-rich superfoods with ingredients selected to support the body's natural cleansing pathways.
Highlights include:
• Organic Spirulina, rich in antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress while supporting immune health.
• Organic Matcha, which supports the body's natural detoxification processes while providing steady energy and mental clarity.
• Organic Wheatgrass, a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll that helps nourish the body.
• Organic Activated Charcoal, traditionally used to bind certain unwanted substances within the digestive tract, supporting their natural elimination while helping reduce occasional bloating and digestive discomfort.
Together, these ingredients help complement the body's natural cleansing processes while providing antioxidant support.
Step 3: Calm
Even when we're making healthier choices, our bodies are constantly responding to everyday stressors.
That's why the final piece of the system focuses on supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
Our Inflammatory Support blend combines herbs and spices that have been valued for centuries.
Key ingredients include:
• Turmeric, widely recognized for supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
• Black Pepper, included to enhance the absorption of curcumin, turmeric's primary active compound.
• Ginger, traditionally used to support joint comfort and healthy digestion.
• Cinnamon, which provides antioxidant support while helping maintain healthy inflammation levels.
• Paprika and Cayenne, selected to support healthy circulation.
• Matcha and Spirulina, adding additional antioxidant protection to help combat oxidative stress.
By supporting a balanced inflammatory response, this blend complements the first two steps while helping your body recover from the everyday demands of modern life.
Why They Work Better Together
Each product is beneficial on its own.
Together, they were intentionally designed to support three different phases of wellness.
Mobilize.
Support the organs responsible for processing and filtering waste.
Bind.
Support the body's natural elimination pathways.
Calm.
Help maintain a healthy inflammatory response while providing antioxidant support.
It's a systems approach to wellness that reflects something we believe deeply at No Crap In It:
The body works as a whole.
When you support multiple systems together, you're supporting the body's natural ability to function the way it was wonderfully designed.
Wellness Is About Margin
We know we can't eliminate every environmental exposure in today's world.
We can't control every ingredient.
Every pesticide.
Every chemical.
Every environmental toxin.
But we can control far more than we sometimes realize.
We can wash our produce.
We can choose cleaner ingredients when possible.
We can drink filtered water.
We can swap out old nonstick cookware.
We can read labels.
We can nourish our bodies with whole foods.
And we can support the incredible organs and systems that God designed to work for us every single day.
One healthy choice may not seem like much on its own.
But healthy choices have a way of adding up.
One cleaner meal becomes a cleaner day.
One better habit becomes a healthier lifestyle.
One intentional decision becomes a lifetime of small victories.
That's what No Crap In It has always been about.
Not fear.
Not perfection.
Simply helping you make one better choice today than you made yesterday.
Because those choices compound over time, and your health is worth investing in.
The Bottom Line
The conversation around PFAS isn't going away.
As more research emerges and more questions are asked, it's likely we'll continue hearing about forever chemicals in our food, water, and environment.
At No Crap In It, we don't believe you should live in fear of every headline.
We also don't believe in ignoring them.
Instead, we believe in staying curious.
Read the labels.
Ask questions.
Wash your produce.
Choose cleaner options when you can.
Support your body's natural systems.
Focus on progress instead of perfection.
Because every healthier choice you make today is something your body will thank you for tomorrow!